David Meerman
Scott stated there is “ a new blog created every second of every day.” (2015,
p. 297) this is extremely intimidating.
It makes me wonder why would people care to hear what I have to say and
what do I really have to offer that is not already out there. I am not a blogger (yet), I prefer to just
read to see what others have to say.
It is important
as a blogger to make your self largely accessible to the public. The blogs that I have read were when someone
else has liked it on Facebook or they have shared an excerpt in a post to
intrigue me. Setting up links through
all your other social mediums would help start to build your audience,
eventually people will see it, follow it and begin to recommend it (Scott,
2015, p. 303).
With so many
bloggers out there, you need to do something to make yourself stand out. It’s important to find your niche,
specifically something that you are passionate or knowledgeable about (Scott,
2015, p. 297). That would narrow down
your competition and it would allow for followers to find you. Having knowledge and passion about the
subject of your blog would help attract followers. Once you figure out what you should blog
about it will bring about your target audience or followers. Personally I really like cooking, baking and
crafting, I now will search for a couple blogs to follow and maybe get some
ideas for the future.
When creating a
blog you are “owning your own real estate” on the Internet (Scott, 2015,
p.295). When you own something it fees
like you can do whatever you want because it’s yours, this is true. When you are blogging I believe it’s
important to remember there is an ethical code and it should be followed. Blogs can have a large following, they can
influential but when they are not honest or don’t give credit where credit is
due can cause harm to themselves or any organization they are associated with
(Scott, 2015, p. 298). Personally I
rather read something honest than something fake that was written just to
obtain a larger following.
I hope to be able to find my voice as a
blogger and break out of my social media shell, I just need to put myself out
there and find my niche.
Reference
Scott, David
Meerman. (2015). The New Rules of Marketing & PR. Hoboken, New Jersey: John
Wiley & Sons, Inc. 5TH ed.
I enjoyed your post and completely agree that finding a niche and passion will draw readers in naturally. One of my favorite blogs is written by marketer Seth Godin. You can find his blog here: http://sethgodin.com/sg/
ReplyDeleteSeth is a knowledgeable, passionate marketer. His topics are always highly relevant not only for marketing, but for business and leadership in general.
What I think he does most effectively is keeps his post short, sweet, relevant and poignant. He always leaves me thinking and reflecting and it only takes me a few minutes to read. I subscribe to his blog via email, so each day at work I receive the post in the morning. I often forward it to my team with some of my own commentary added. Seth also effectively leverages all of the social channels to promote his posts, but also to highlight the work of others that he partners with and respects across the industry. Making important connections with others is also a critical component of driving readership.
Michele,
DeleteThat blog is great, I appreciate you recommending it. I like the idea of posts being short, I don't find a lot of time to jump on to social media and when I do I like to get the most out of it. Keeping it short but interesting will entice me to follow them.
I am really trying to open myself up and put forth a good effort. I always felt like my writing wasn't good enough or that no one will care about what I write, but I am always looking at blogging as being cathartic, and gives me a place to express my feelings.
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I enjoyed reading your thoughts and please know you are not alone. It is not easy to find something to blog about, but in time I think you will find your calling.
Michele recommended a great blog and I would also recommend checking out http://www.southerncurlsandpearls.com. This is a fashion blog I enjoy reading because of the outfit inspirations, easy-to-read layout, and colorful photos.
Dave Kerpen discussed the importance of word-of-mouth, and I never would have found this blog had it not been for word-of-mouth. My friend followed Caitlin, the writer of Southern Curls and Pearls, on Instagram and tagged me in one of her photos. I ended up going through her Instagram and liked her style, so I followed her account. I did not know she had a blog until she posted something about it along with a photo one day. I went to the blog and I follow that, too. Now I even share her posts with other friends.
Dave Kerpen (2015) noted, “the most effective way of inspiring your customers to tell others about you is to have buzz-worthy, talkable products and services in the first place” (p. 161). Southern Curls and Pearls offered great content, so my friend wanted to share her posts with me. I ended up following the blog because of her content, and now I am sharing it with you. Kerpen would be very proud!
If you follow your passion and stick to your niche, you will generate share-worthy content and the viewers will follow.
Kerpen, D. (2015). Likeable social media. (2nd ed.). United States: McGraw Hill Education.
I think word of mouth is very effective, that is how I hear about most things I watch, read or listen to. It is the best way to create a buzz around any topic (Lattimore, 2012, p. 145). A person is more willing to try something based off a recommendation from a friend or person they know rather than stumbling across it themselves.
DeleteI am definitely going to check out the blog you recommended. I am determined to find one that really speaks to me and that I want to follow daily. Looking at all the different blogs shows me that there are endless amount of possibilities to make it my own and stand out from other blogs, I'm really excited to pursue this.
Lattimore, D., Baskin. O., Heiman, S., & Toth, E. (2012). Public relations: The profession and the practice. New York, NY: McGraw Hill
Hi Victoria,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your blog with us! I'm so glad I have a fellow baker here, so I'm sure we will exchange some great ideas and recipes. In the future, if you have a great group of followers and have some wonderful content, you never know what your future can bring.
As stated by Kerpen, "You have to authentically believe that being active in growing your social network will lead to deeper, stronger relationships...."(Kerpen, p. 69). Staying active on your blog and talking frequently with commenters and followers will bring you some really great relationships. Through those relationships, your blog will gain attention, grow your relationships, and create something truly original and fun to read.
Danny
Reference
Kerpen, D. (2015). Likeable social media. (2nd ed.). United States: McGraw Hill Education.
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